


ignorance (is your new best friend)

by imposterhuman



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Gen, Guilt, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Not Steve Friendly, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Team Iron Man, bucky lays some truths down on steve, cryo, delusional steve, he goes by james too oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 14:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18448250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: after the civil war, james decides to go into cryo. after all, with the triggers still in his head, hes a threat. he doesnt want to hurt anyone anymoresteve, unsurprisingly, takes objection to thisas usual, this is TEAM IRON MAN. read my tags, dont come here to be mean





	ignorance (is your new best friend)

**Author's Note:**

> title from paramore's "ignorance" which i think fits post-cw, team iron man bucky&steve pretty well
> 
> i typed this in like,,, an hour and change and its 240 am so rip me if there are mistakes
> 
> enjoy!

James stared at the cryo chamber, willing things to make sense. His head was a scrambled mess of wires; the only man who might have been able to untangle it had every reason to want him dead. Princess Shuri, for all her genius, didn’t know where to even start with the triggers. With HYDRA’s words in his head, though, he was a threat.

 

He couldn’t risk hurting anyone else. 

 

The princess had suggested cryo while she tried to come up with a solution and James had jumped on the chance. It was  _ his choice _ , yet Steve was fighting him on it. 

 

“Bucky-”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“-please,” Steve begged, ignoring James’s growled protest. “I just got you back.”

 

“ _ I am a threat _ ,” James repeated. “I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore.”

 

“You won’t,” Steve promised. “I could stop you. Please, Bucky, think it through.”

 

Inwardly, James snorted. Steve couldn’t stop him if he tried; HYDRA had made him nigh unbeatable in hand to hand, and for all Steve’s strength, James was just  _ better _ . Maybe with the shield, Steve would have stood a chance, but the only thing that could beat him was a bullet to the skull (or, maybe, an Iron Man suit at full power. James knew that Stark hadn’t really been fighting back, after all. Tank missiles were one other thing he didn’t think he could survive). 

 

“I did think it through,” he said instead. “Even Princess Shuri agrees with me; this is the best option.”

 

Steve frowned. “I thought she was a genius,” he muttered. “Why can’t she solve this while you’re awake?”

 

“She’s an engineering genius. That doesn’t mean she’s suddenly a neuroscientist,” said James, closing his eyes to stop from snapping. Shuri didn’t deserve Steve’s ire; she really had done her best, which was better than most people’s. “Plus, she actually has responsibilities, Steve.”

 

“I bet Tony could do it,” Steve muttered. James wouldn’t have heard it if not for his enhanced hearing.

 

“Why on earth would Stark help  _ me _ ?” he asked, incredulous.

 

“He’s a good guy, Buck, really, he just has to get over his ego,” Steve reassured him. “I’m sure he’ll come around; I sent him a letter and a way to reach me. It’s only a matter of time. You should stay out of cryo because I’m sure he already has a solution as an apology.”

 

James shook his head. “Stark could be a fucking  _ saint  _ and I wouldn’t expect his help,” he said angrily. “I  _ killed his parents _ , Steve, and you hid it from him! I know I wouldn’t be able to help me, in his place.”

 

“That wasn't you!” argued Steve predictably. “It was HYDRA!”

 

“It was my hands strangling his mother.”

 

“You had no choice!”   
  


“That doesn’t make it okay!” James hissed, fed up. “That doesn’t diminish my guilt or his suffering! God, Steve, what  _ happened  _ to you?”

 

“W-what?” Steve stuttered. “Nothing happened to me, Buck, I’m the same as I’ve always been. I’m your best friend, til the end of the line.”

 

“Like Stark was your friend?” James asked softly. 

 

Steve flinched. “That’s not fair. I had to protect you, Bucky. He would've killed you!”

 

“If he wanted me dead, I would be,” James said dully. “HYDRA had files on the Iron Man suit and Stark. He was strictly  _ do not engage _ because of how his enemies usually end up without even a body to bury.” 

 

“Then why’d he blast off your arm?” Steve countered.

 

“Probably an automatic defense mechanism,” said James. “An couple inches to the right and he could’ve blasted through my chest, instead. If he was trying to kill me, he’d have waited.”

 

Steve was getting irritated. “It doesn’t matter,” he snapped. “What matters is you shouldn’t go into cryo, Bucky.”

 

“ _ James _ ,” James repeated. “Stop calling me Bucky. I’m not Bucky, okay? He died when he fell off a train.”

 

“I know you’re in there, Bucky,” Steve said earnestly. “We can fix this together.”

 

James closed his eyes, tired of fighting with the other man. “I’m going into cryo,” he said quietly. “And that’s my choice. If you’re really my friend, you’ll respect that.”

 

“I can’t lose you, too,” whispered Steve. “I’ve lost everyone else. Howard, the Howlies,  _ Peggy _ …”

 

“Stop clinging to your past,” said James, a little harshly. “You had a good thing going with the Avengers, didn’t you?”

 

Reluctantly, Steve said, “Yeah, I guess I did. But they’re not you, Buck.”

 

“ _ I’m  _ not me, Steve,” James groaned. “You have this version of Bucky in your head that doesn’t exist, not anymore. I will  _ never  _ be the same as I was. Are you the same? Is anyone?” 

 

“I…” Steve deflated. “I’m all alone, Buck.”

 

James gritted his teeth. He wanted to point out the members of Steve’s team that had followed him to Wakanda, or the way Stark had been on their side when it counted (until, of course, Steve had betrayed him). He didn’t though, some remnants of Bucky in his head wanting to spare the man the pain. 

 

“I have to do this,” he tried. “I could never forgive myself if someone got hurt because they triggered the Winter Soldier.” James knew it was a little manipulative to mention the Soldier, especially with the way Steve always stiffened and closed off, unable to fully hide his fear of James’s HYDRA-made alter ego.

 

“There has to be another way.”

 

“Are you an expert in brainwashing?” James asked rhetorically. “No? Then don’t act like it.”

 

Despite everything, Steve cracked a smile. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just… you sound like yourself again. You always were sarcastic.” He looked like he was reminiscing.

 

“It’s time for you to go,’ said James, losing his patience. “Goodbye, Steve.”

 

“Til the end of the line, Bucky,” Steve said sadly, putting a hand on James’s good shoulder.

 

James shrugged it off. “My name is James.” 

 

He climbed into the cryo chamber, not letting Steve respond. A signal to the Dora Milaje at the door had someone escorting the man out.

 

The chamber closed, the cold and darkness a familiar relief after the chaos of, well,  _ everything _ .

 

James closed his eyes and slept.

**Author's Note:**

> when shuri wakes james in the future, its because tony has offered him use of barf. james uses it and recovers and lives his life making the world a better place, because hes precious and i love him
> 
> i love and cherish your comments and kudos!!
> 
> xoxo <3


End file.
